Could it happen?

[Flinty]

I have just searched my machine and found unwanted
material of a sexual nature...which I have deleted. I have
no idea of how this material found it's way onto my
machine?

We do dowload from Winmx mainly music files but nothing
else.

Could it be possible for someone to upload this kind of
stuff onto the computer without you knowing, more to the
point is there any way which we could stop this from
happening.

Any information would be greatly received.

Kind Regards

Peter Flint.

 

[Plato]

I have just searched my machine and found unwanted
material of a sexual nature...which I have deleted. I have
no idea of how this material found it's way onto my
machine?

We do dowload from Winmx mainly music files but nothing
else.

winmx is a file sharing program. Your sex programs came from using it.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have just searched my machine and found unwanted
material of a sexual nature...which I have deleted. I have
no idea of how this material found it's way onto my
machine?

We do download from Winmx mainly music files but nothing
else.

Could it be possible for someone to upload this kind of
stuff onto the computer without you knowing, more to the
point is there any way which we could stop this from
happening.

Any information would be greatly received.

You use P2P, it's possible that something you downloaded wasn't what you
thought, or that it was and much more. Theoretically, you could be hosting
a porn web page by now if you have been doing P2P and not being VERY careful
about what you do and the security of your machine as a whole.

 

[Guest]

1. Turn on your firewall.

2. Make sure all your critical updates are in place.

3. Scan for any virus

4. ??Unplug your computer??

 

[flinty]

Thanks for the reply Plato...

But it still does not answer my question. Could someone
plant these programs on the machine without you knowing?
And how can one avoid this in future.

Please could you let me know.

Kind Regards.

Peter Flint.

 

[Melissa]

I have just searched my machine and found unwanted
material of a sexual nature...which I have deleted. I have
no idea of how this material found it's way onto my
machine?

We do dowload from Winmx mainly music files but nothing
else.

Could it be possible for someone to upload this kind of
stuff onto the computer without you knowing, more to the
point is there any way which we could stop this from
happening.

Any information would be greatly received.

Kind Regards

Peter Flint.

You won't be able to keep stuff like this and worse off your computer as
long as your using p2p, but the information below should help somewhat.

You need the following:

A good Anti-Virus program.

A good firewall like Zone Alarm or the built in XP firewall
ZoneAlarm is available free at:
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

Ad-Aware 6.0 - for removing spyware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Spybot Search & Destroy - for removing spyware
http://www.safer-networking.org/

CWShredder - gets rid of page hijackers
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html

Google Toolbar - for blocking popups

http://toolbar.google.com/

Before running these, do the following:

Delete temporary internet files and internet history.

The best protection is to stop using p2p.

 

[Plato]

But it still does not answer my question. Could someone
plant these programs on the machine without you knowing?
And how can one avoid this in future.

They are attached to the files you download with your file sharing
program. File sharing
programs like winmx or kazaa are the number one distributor of nasties.
Especially new trojans.

 

[Phil \(a.k.a. purplehaz\)]

You won't be able to keep stuff like this and worse off your computer
as long as your using p2p, but the information below should help
somewhat.

I have to disagree 100% with this statement. I've used winmx for over two
years and have never got a virus, trojan, adware, or spyware. Never in 17
years of computing. If you know what your doing, have a firewall, and have a
current and updated anti-virus program then winmx is fine to use. The winmx
network is full of people who just want to share files, not to many "bad
guys". At least in my experience.
Programs like kazaa, bearshare, etc............ those are the ones you have
to stay away from. They install adware, trojans, and spyware, just by
installing the programs. WinMX never has spyware and never will. Also those
other networks are full of teeny boppers and script kiddies, thinking they
are cool hackers.
Stay safe and winmx is fine.
<snip>

 

[Flinty]

-----Original Message-----


You won't be able to keep stuff like this and worse off your computer as
long as your using p2p, but the information below should help somewhat.

You need the following:

A good Anti-Virus program.

A good firewall like Zone Alarm or the built in XP firewall
ZoneAlarm is available free at:
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/zna lm/freeDownload.jsp

Ad-Aware 6.0 - for removing spyware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Spybot Search & Destroy - for removing spyware
http://www.safer-networking.org/

CWShredder - gets rid of page hijackers
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html

Google Toolbar - for blocking popups

http://toolbar.google.com/

Before running these, do the following:

Delete temporary internet files and internet history.

The best protection is to stop using p2p.

.
Thanks all...please could you tell me what p2p is? I

think that it is an internet protocol point 2 point? If so
how can I go about using some other methond.

Kind Regards

Peter Flint.

 

[marty]

yeh right..you have no idea how they got there...hey...wanna buy a
bridge....

 

[Taylz]

P2P = Person to Person

File sharing programs like the one you use are P2P as you are getting things
from other people hence Person 2 Person

Taylz

 

[Michael Burk [MSFT]]

p2p is short for Peer to Peer network. This is the type of network that is
created by programs such as winmx, morpheus, kaaza, etc.

There is no way to use these kind of programs without being in the peer to
peer network, though the other posters are giving you ideas of how to lock
it down and be more safe.

--
Michael Burk

Longhorn Shell
http://msdn.microsoft.com/longhorn
----===========================----

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Richard Urban]

If your machine is compromised, it is indeed possible that someone could do
this. Hope it is not kiddy porn. That could land YOU in jail. They could
also host music files on your computer and you would not know, unless you
keep intense vigilance of your outgoing packets! And you know where that
could get you?

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

 

[Flinty]

Hi Richard,

How / What would I be looking for in the outgoing
packets!!!

Can u recommend any literature that I could
read up on. I am computer literate, but would'nt it
still be possible to get past a firewall?

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Kind Regards.

 

[Melissa]

Hi Richard,

How / What would I be looking for in the outgoing
packets!!!

Can u recommend any literature that I could
read up on. I am computer literate, but would'nt it
still be possible to get past a firewall?

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Kind Regards.






that someone could do


jail. They could


know, unless you


know where that

ZoneAlarm - link in my post above -- will enable you to control inbound
and outbound traffic. I don't run any p2p software, so I don't know how
it would work with yours, but in downloading, installing, and running
it, you'll get a better idea about traffic -- like what programs want
access and when. The firewall and anti-spyware should be a good start
to help keep you safe.

 

[Guest]

1. Download and install all Ms Windows Updates,
especially the security ones.

2. Get yourself a decent Anti-virus program, such as
Norton AV.

3. Turn on your Internet Connection Firewall, which is
better then none at all. If not, get ZoneAlarm.

4. Visit Symantec.com and do an on-line security check
on your PC, or goto www.grc.com and check your security
again.

5. Check again and go to
http://www.gfi.com/emailsecuritytest/
and follow procedure.

6. Get a good add-ware removal tool, such as PestPatrol,
or Add-aware, both free, I think

7. use a NAT router

doing all or most of those I would suggest will reduce
your problems to a minimum.

regards, Mick

 

[Spinner]

They are attached to the files you download with your file sharing
program.

Your jumping to an awful lot of conclusions there, most of which are
incorrect.
There are dozens of ways to get that type of thing on your computer, and
file sharing is on the very bottom of the list.
My employers daughter's computer was loaded with trojans and porn. He asked
me to look at it and see if I could find where it came from.
It was not to hard at all to trace it. Most came from a very harmless
looking website that had AIM buddy icons for download. The site "looked"
harmless but it was all a scam to lure people to the site with free icons.
This site installed a "search" companion, which installed winfavorites,
which installed bridge.dll, etc, etc.
Then theres the scumbags like"blue.sexer.com" who purchase legitimate
sounding domain names that re-direct you to thier site where the spyware is
loaded before you can blink.




File sharing

 

[-xiray-]

how can one avoid this in future.

Don't use file sharing apps
Don't visit those web pages
Don't open strange email with odd attachments
Don't allow people to send you files through instant messaging
software

Run a popup stopper
Run a firewall
Run an antivirus program

And for what it is worth, aside from popup ad pictures in the temp
internet folder, I've never seen a sex related file on a computer that
the user did not in one way or another ask for.

 

[-xiray-]

I have to disagree 100% with this statement. I've used winmx for over two
years and have never got a virus, trojan, adware, or spyware. Never in 17
years of computing. If you know what your doing, have a firewall, and have a
current and updated anti-virus program then winmx is fine to use. The winmx
network is full of people who just want to share files, not to many "bad
guys".

While I don't use P2P software I have worked with machines that it is
installed on, I have to say that I agree. The porn files are not the
P2P programs fault. It is pretty hard to get an occasional porn file
on your computer if you've not in someway allowed in.

There aren't exactly a lot of hackers out there looking to stash a few
jpgs or mpgs on some home user's machine and it would not really serve
an advertiser's purpose to hide one someplace on a drive.

 

[wojo]

Don't use file sharing apps
Don't visit those web pages
Don't open strange email with odd attachments
Don't allow people to send you files through instant messaging
software

Run a popup stopper
Run a firewall
Run an antivirus program

And for what it is worth, aside from popup ad pictures in the temp
internet folder, I've never seen a sex related file on a computer that
the user did not in one way or another ask for.

Well that sin't exactly true. Some websites disguise themselves pretty well
you click on what appears to be an innocent link just to have a porn site
pop up that very quickly can turn into 10 pop ups and half of them
automatically installing links or hijacking home pages or worms etc...
So to say NEVER might be a bit of an overstatement.

If I can help you I will.
If you can help me thanks.
(e-mail address removed)
TO Email: Remove "SPAM" without the quotes